2014-Staunton State Park Young Stewards Program

Start Date-End Date: 06/21/2014-06/21/2014 Land Manager Office: CPW - Staunton State Park Land Manager Contact: Jennifer Anderson Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Bring your 6-10-year-olds to Staunton State Park for a half-day Young Stewards Program that will include an environmental education component, a stewardship project, and a short hike. Description: STEWARDSHIP SITE Staunton State Park is Colorado's newest state park. The park is located 40 miles southwest of Denver, near Conifer, andboasts a number of impressivegranite cliffs and wide valleys lush with meadows. YOUNG STEWARDS PROGRAM Don't miss this opportunity to experience Colorado's newest state park! Bring the whole family for a unique half-day of environmental education, outdoor stewardship, and outdoor games and recreation, all designed for young children ages 6-10.As a family, learn about invasive weeds and why they are harmful to habitat and wildlife. Learn to identify invasive weeds and get your hands dirty helping to remove them.This will be a fun, youth-focused day outside for the whole family to learn and give back together. This program is designed for young children, ages 6-10. Children MUST be accompanied by an adult. PARTNERS Colorado Parks and Wildlife- Staunton State Park Xcel Energy REI Lockheed Martin Oracle The Boeing Company Clif Bar & Company OTHER FUN STUFF Meals: A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Latitude/Longitude: 39.46670150756836, -105.37409973144531 Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Easy High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 30 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 15 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 13 Total Volunteer Days: 28 Total Unique Volunteers: 28 Total Volunteer Hours: 114 Staff Hours: 25 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: Successes and Challenges: Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Stewardship Education: The wildlife session which was put on by the park, was exclusively EE. We also took 20-30 min before the weed session to teach everyone how to identify the invasives we were after. Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Overall, this was a very fun day. All the families in attendance seemed to have a good time and I got a lot of positive feedback from parents at the end of the day. This may be a project type we should look into expanding in the future. Description of Accidents/Incidents: Some minor seasonal allergy issues with one kid and one parent. Description of Work Completed: 13 youth and 15 adult Volunteers met at Staunton State Park for a day of Stewardship, Environmnetal Education and games. The day consisted of two different sessions. The first, put on by State Park volunteers, consisted of wildlife education and games. Parents and kids took part in a "skins and skulls" presentation, and went on a nature hike that included games, and a chance to spot wildlife and the signs of wildlife. The second part of the day consisted of invasive species removal, which was put on jointly by VOC staff and Park volunteers. Parents and kids learned how to identify Common Mullien and Musk Thistle, and removed these species from 2 acres of park land.